NLR electric utility’s relocation in works

LITTLE ROCK — North Little Rock’s Electric Department will be moving out of downtown in 2011, pending City Council approval of the city’s budget proposal.

The electric utility, 800 Main St., is to move to Maryland Avenue by the North Little Rock Municipal Airport on the northern edge of the city, Mayor Patrick Hays said of the plan that will be included in the city’s budget.

North Little Rock’s 2011 budget is traditionally finalized at the end of November for the City Council’s consideration in December. Financial projections will be released upon the budget being filed with the city clerk’s office today.

The Electric Department building, built in 1955 next to the Main Street viaduct, could become part of a possible continued redevelopment of downtown, Hays said.

In April, the City Council approved a study to rebuild and shorten the deteriorating viaduct that would open up additional development space on the northern edge of downtown.

“We would have that ground available for commercial development downtown, with the council’s concurrence,” Hays said.

Relocation of the utility’s operations would be completed “sometime next year,” Hays said.

Part of the transfer will involve renovating the former North Little Rock Water Department building adjacent to the airport for administrative offices, said Mike Russ, the Electric Department’s general manager.In 2001, the Water Department became part of Central Arkansas Water, which is located in Little Rock’s downtown.

“We are crammed where we are,” Russ said. “We would definitely have more room and frankly we would be more centrally located to our service territory, having Sherwood to one side of us and North Little Rock to the other.”

The North Little Rock Electric Department has customers in North Little Rock and a portion of Sherwood.

“It would give us a lot more room, a lot more land,” Russ added. “Obviously we will have a bigger footprint on land for us to build other structures that are needed. We’ve outgrown the space we have here, there’s no question about that.”